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Mala Beef Hot Pot Broth

Hot pot filled with beef broth and chilis
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones

Spicy, tingly mala broth, which gets its inimitable sensation from a mix of chiles and Sichuan peppercorns, is on the menu at most hot pot restaurants. Each step in this homemade version from chef Eric Sze—toasting the spices, frying the chili bean paste and aromatics, gently boiling the broth—requires a small investment of time and love, but the payoff is huge. “Broths are the building blocks of your hot pot,” Sze says, and as you dip in umami-rich additions like mushrooms and meat, its flavor will only get richer.

Read our ultimate guide to making hot pot at home here.

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